THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Bill,
Thanks for your service. My family are forever grateful for your friendship and drum corp memories.

Dear Sp4 William Ogden, Thank you for your service as a Flight Qualified Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice. Your 72nd birthday is soon, and your 52nd anniversary just passed, sigh. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Presidents’, and Valentine’s Days just passed. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

I lived next door to the Ogden's on Hermitage St. We used to play as kids in his yard with his little brother. I was in eighth grade when he was killed in Vietnam. This is the closest the war reached me, besides watching the news on our television. It still haunts me today. God bless you for serving our country. This war should never have happened and you should be enjoying seeing your grandkids grow up now. You are a hero and I am sorry that you were never recognized as such!

On February 6, 1969, the 134th Assault Helicopter Company conducted a combat assault with Republic of Korea (ROK) units near Phan Rang, Ninh Thuan Province, RVN. At the landing zone (LZ), the Viet Cong were waiting in spider holes for the incoming aircraft. The lead UH-1 helicopter was hit by ground fire and crashed in the LZ while another UH-1 (66-16326) was destroyed by a B-40 rocket as it landed. CW2 William M. Harrison, the aircraft commander with 24 days left in country, was killed by shrapnel from the B-40. The crew chief, SP4 John Baxter, was hit by numerous pieces of shrapnel, including a leg wound that had to later be amputated. The last UH-1 (66-16319) in the three-ship formation went around the crashed lead ship. As it did, it was hit by a hail of fire with a round hitting the gunner, SP4 William S. Ogden, in the neck and killing him instantly. The rest of the crew somehow escaped serious jury and managed to get the badly damaged ship back to Phan Rang Air Base. [Taken from underwoodconsulting.org]

Iam proud to be named after him I wish I could have met him RIP uncle